Hashman v Orchard Park Garden Centre

Ivan Hare (instructed by Bindmans) has established that Joe Hashman's beliefs in the sanctity of life and the moral duty to avoid unnecessary suffering to animals constitute a philosophical belief for the purposes of discrimination law.  Joe Hashman is a well-known former animal rights activist who already has the important decision of the ECHR in Hashman and Harrup v United Kingdom (setting aside his binding over for engaging in hunt sabotage) to his name.  Joe Hashman claims that his contract was terminated by active hunters when they realised who he was.  The case will now proceed to a merits hearing in the Employment Tribunal.  The case follows the EAT's decision in Grainger v Nicholson which was argued successfully by Dinah Rose QC and Ivan Hare in 2009.